1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information reproducing method and an information reproducing apparatus for reading information pieces recorded on a record medium, such as an MD (Mini Disc) or the like and then demodulating it.
2. Description of the Related Art
An MD player is an information reproducing apparatus for reading compressed information recorded on an MD and then demodulating it. The MD is one type of record medium. Compressed information, for example, compressed digital audio data is spirally recorded on the MD. The compressed information is divided into a plurality of compressed information pieces. In other words, the compressed information is recorded at a unit of information piece. Hereafter, this information piece is referred to as xe2x80x9ccompressed information piecexe2x80x9d. For example, if the compressed information is music, one compressed information piece is a song. Moreover, control information indicative of a record position (for example, an address) of the compressed information piece together with the compressed information is recorded on the MD.
The MD player is provided with: a spindle motor for rotating the MD; a pickup for optically reading the compressed information recorded on the MD; a servo controller for controlling a movement of the pickup on the MD; a signal processor for demodulating the compressed information read by the pickup; a key input section for receiving a command from a user; and a system controller for controlling the MD player as a whole.
The MD player is operated as follows. When a user uses the key input section to then enter a command of reproducing the MD in the MD player, the pickup radiates a laser light toward the rotating MD. Then, the pickup receives the laser light reflected by the MD, and then converts the laser light into an electrical signal. This electrical signal contains the compressed information recorded on the MD. The signal processor receives the electrical signal outputted by the pickup, and then demodulates it. Accordingly, the compressed information is reproduced.
In order to read out the compressed information recorded on the MD by using the pickup, it is necessary to accurately control a radiation position (namely, a read position) of the laser light radiated by the pickup. This is achieved by the servo controller. The electrical signal outputted by the pickup contains the information with regard to the read position of the pickup. The servo controller controls the read position of the pickup based on this information
The MD player not only can simply reproduce the plurality of compressed information pieces recorded on the MD, but also can change a reproduction order of the compressed information pieces based on a user indication. For example, if the MD on which a plurality of songs are recorded is reproduced by the MD player, the user can select several songs from the plurality of songs to then set the reproduction order of the songs. When the reproduction order of the songs is inputted, the MD player reproduces the songs in the inputted reproduction order.
If such an MD player is mounted in a car, a driver can hear the MD in the running car. However, in this case, problems described below are brought about.
In general, if a plurality of songs are recorded on the MD, a silent portion (a blank portion) exists between the songs. That is, in order to clarify a pause between the songs, each song is recorded so as to be kept silent for a few seconds at the beginning of each song. In case of a song whose ending is fade-out, a level of a musical sound becomes gradually lower at the ending of the song.
In this case, at the ending of the song, the musical sound is erased by a noise within the running car. As a result, the driver can not hear the ending of the song, and thereby feels that a period from the end of the song to the start of the next song is long. In other words, the user feels that the blank between the compressed information pieces is long.
In a case of a song whose beginning is fade-in, the level of the musical sound is low at the beginning of the song. Also in this case, the driver can not hear the beginning of the song, and thereby feels that the period between the songs is long. In other words, the user feels that the blank between the compressed information pieces is long.
Such a problem is not limited to the case in which the MD is reproduced within the running car. The problem may be brought about even in a case that the MD is reproduced in a room where the noise is relatively large, an outdoor and the like.
The present invention is proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems. It is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide an information reproducing method and an information reproducing apparatus which can prevent a user from feeling that a blank at a boundary between continuously reproduced information pieces is long when information composed of a plurality of information pieces is continuously reproduced from a record medium.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an information reproducing method and an information reproducing apparatus which can prevent a user from feeling that a connection between continuously reproduced information pieces is unnatural when information composed of a plurality of information pieces is continuously reproduced.
The aforementioned first object can be achieved by an information reproducing apparatus in accordance with the present invention. The information reproducing apparatus is an apparatus for reproducing a plurality of information pieces recorded on a recording medium. The apparatus has: a reading device for reading the information pieces from the recording medium in accordance with a predetermined reproduction order; a linking device for linking the information pieces read by the reading device with each other, by removing either or both of a beginning and an ending of each of the information pieces; and a converting device for converting the information pieces linked by the linking device into a reproduction signal to be supplied to an output device.
Information is recorded on the recording medium. The information is divided into the information pieces on the recording medium. The information pieces are read from the recording medium by the reading device. Then, either or both of the beginning and the ending of these information pieces are removed, and then, they are linked with each other. Therefore, information for the purpose of identifying the boundary between the information pieces, such as a blank part, a fade-out part, a fade-in part, etc., as mentioned above, can be removed, and the information pieces can be linked in such a way that they are continuously reproduced without a pause.
The linking device may include: a read position detecting device for detecting a read position of the reading device on the recording medium; and a read position control device for controlling a movement of the read position of the reading device on the recording medium. The read position detecting device detects a first read position corresponding to a first position of each of the information pieces, which is located in the vicinity of the ending of each of the information pieces. Then, the read position control device controls the movement of the read position such that the read position jumps from the first read position to a second read position corresponding to a second position of each of the information pieces, which is located in the vicinity of the beginning of each of the information pieces.
Furthermore, the linking device may include a storing device for storing the information pieces read by the reading device such that the first position of each of the information pieces is linked with the second position of each of the information pieces in accordance with the reproduction order. For example, a first information piece is firstly read by the reading device, and stored in the storing device. At this stage, the first information piece except for the area located between the first position of this information piece and the edge of the ending of this information piece is stored in the storing device. Next, a second information piece is read by the reading device, and stored in the storing device. At this time, the second information piece except for the area located between the edge of the beginning of this information piece and the second position of this information piece is stored in the storing device. Since the second information piece and the second information piece are continuously stored in the storing device, the first position of the first information piece and the second position of the second information piece are linked with each other.
The first position may be located within the information piece and located a predetermined distance away from the edge of the ending of this information piece. As a result, the area between the first position and the edge of the ending of the information piece is removed by the linking device. If the blank part or the fade-out part is included in this area, the blank part or the fade-out part is removed from the information piece.
Alternatively, the first position may be located at the edge of the ending of each of the information pieces. As a result, no area located in the ending of the information pieces is removed. In addition, in this case, it is necessary to remove the area located in the beginning of the information piece.
The second position may be located within the information piece and located a predetermined distance away from the edge of the beginning of this information piece. As a result, the area between the edge of the beginning of the information piece and the second position is removed by the linking device. If the blank part or the fade-in part is included in this area, the blank part or the fade-is part is removed from the information piece.
Alternatively, the second position may be located at the edge of the beginning of each of the information pieces. As a result, no area located in the beginning of the information pieces is removed. In addition, in this case, it is necessary to remove the area located in the ending of the information piece.
The aforementioned second object can be achieved by the information reproducing apparatus with a volume control device in accordance with the present invention. If each of the information pieces includes audio information and the reproduction signal is an audio signal, the information reproducing apparatus may include a volume control device for controlling a volume of the audio signal corresponding to the audio information included in each of the information pieces. Further, in this case, the volume control device may control the volume such that the volume gradually decreases from a third position of the information piece, which is located a predetermined distance away from the first position of this information piece, to the first position of this information piece. Furthermore, the volume control device may control the volume such that the volume gradually increases from the second position of the information piece to a fourth position of this information piece, which is located a predetermined distance away from the second position of this information piece.
The volume control device serves to compensate unnaturalness caused by linkage of the information pieces by the linking device, if the linkage is unnatural. For example, the volume control device performs the volume control on the first information piece such that the volume of the audio signal corresponding to the area between the third position and the first position gradually decreases. This area is located at the ending of each information piece included in the linked information pieces. At this time, the amount of the decrease of the volume is decided for the purpose of the compensation of unnaturalness caused by the linkage of the information pieces. Furthermore, the volume control device performs the volume control on the second information piece such that the volume of the audio signal corresponding to the area between the second position and the fourth position gradually increases. This area is located at the beginning of each information piece included in the linked information pieces. At this time, the amount of the increase of the volume is decided for the purpose of the compensation of unnaturalness caused by the linkage of the information pieces.
The nature, utility, and further feature of this invention will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description with respect to preferred embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings briefly described below.